The Brisbane Summer Racing action heats up at Doomben Racecourse this Saturday, December 5, with two black-type features dominating the card for 2015 Brisbane Handicap Day.
It is a bumper nine race program scheduled for the Sunshine State track this weekend that is set to have a bit of give to it with a current Good (4) rating after racing as a jarring Firm (2) in recent weeks.
The first of the stakes races is the $100,000 Just Now Quality Handicap (1350m) for fillies and mares followed by the headline event, the $100,000 Listed Brisbane Handicap (1640m), running as races seven and eight respectively.
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Race 2 – No. 2 Volkhere
The second of the day has a small nine starter field for this handicap showdown for the stayers and our markets for the $65,000 Volgren Optimus Open Handicap (2200m) are currently led by Joe Cleary’s Hudson County. It is a wide open affair however and the value looks to lie in the local Robert Heathcote-trained Dehere seven-year-old Volkhere. He has a solid record at the distance (9-2-2-2) and from five runs over it at Doomben he boasts two seconds and a third. His lead-up was an 11th to Saturday’s Brisbane Handicap favourite Traveston Girl, but he can improve going up from a mile to 2200m this weekend.
Race 3 – No. 5 Martinelli
At the top of the fields and heading our markets for this three-years-old handicap over the 1640m is the Matthew Dunn-trained Perfect Dare who from barrier two has genuine claims after two close calls in Sydney. He carries 59kg however and better in the weights is the undefeated Chris Munce-trained Snitzel gelding Martinelli. He debuted on November 7 and won over 1200m at the Gold Coast, returning to the track a fortnight ago to fly home over 1400m by nearly four lengths. He only goes up a kilo from that run and while this is a tougher assignment, the ease of that win suggests the mile will be a non-issue.
Race 7 – No. 5 Slots
Typhoon Jolie has firmed back into favouritism with us for the Just Now Quality but still at $5 and shaping up as a big chance at good odds is fellow Sydney visitor Slots from the Newcastle stables of Grant Marshall. The six-year-old has her 30th start and fourth at Doomben, and while she’s yet to finish in the money at the track, she looks a good hope on the back of good NSW lead-up form. She’s drawn to win in barrier three with apprentice Lester Grace retaining the ride after a win over 1250m at Canterbury two back and the second over 1200m at Rosehill last weekend. Handles a short back-up, drops from 58kg to the 54kg minimum and ticks plenty of boxes.
Race 8 – No. 7 Traveston Girl
Tony Gollan’s four-year-old Flying Spur mare Traveston Girl leads Brisbane Handicap betting and is our early market mover with the punters coming for her after the gun gate two draw. She looks pretty damn hard to beat from that barrier with the 54kg minimum, which she carried to her tidy 1.5 length victory at the same track and distance two weeks ago in the Listed Recognition Stakes (1600m). Tegan Harrison retains the ride and there will be a bit more give in the track that will also suit this classy mare from Brisbane’s leading stables.